James Shields (2-0, 3.24 ERA) and Collin McHugh (3-0, 2.41 ERA) take the hill in the first of a three-game series between the San Diego Padres (11-9) and the Houston Astros (11-7) at Petco Park. Action begins at 10:10 p.m. ET on Monday, Apr. 27 and can be seen on ROOT-SW and FSN-SD.
Shields is 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA in his appearances against the Astros, and goes up against a below-average Houston offense which is batting just .226 this season. Matt Kemp (.350, 16 Rs, 1 HR, 14 RBIs, 4 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run and one stolen base. McHugh went 7.0 innings, surrendering three runs, striking out three and walking two in a 6-3 win over the Mariners in his most recent start. Jake Marisnick (.364, 9 Rs, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs, 6 SBs) has been successful at the plate to the start the season for the Astros, going 2 for 4 yesterday with three runs, one home run, two RBIs, and two stolen bases.
San Diego is a -141 favorite against Houston and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at six runs. The Padres have recorded an overall money line of +93 and have shown high-level performance as a favorite this season with a record of 5-2. San Diego is unbeaten as the favorite and has a 5-5 SU record in its last ten outings. The Padres are one of the best in the MLB in terms of extra base hits with 67.
As for their opponent, Houston is coming in with an overall money line of +415 and an impressive record of 6-4 as the dog. They played solid baseball as the underdog over their last 10 games with a 5-2 record, and a 7-3 record SU. The Astros are an excellent base stealing team with 20 stolen bases, ranking third in the MLB. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Astros are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.08 for the season.
The Padres have a 6-8 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when McHugh takes the mound. Shields (RHP) will be on the hill against the Astros, who have a 6-5 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – SD, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Houston is 6-3, while San Diego is 7-5.
The Padres are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Astros have a 1-1 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Padres are 0-8. The Astros have a 2-3 record when opponents outhit them.
San Diego and Houston both rank in the top 10 of the league in home runs. San Diego sits at eighth with 21 home runs this season and Houston ranks sixth with 22.
Ranking 12th, Houston is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.59 per game. San Diego ranks in the top five at second with 9.58.
Ranking 17th, Houston is in the bottom half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.686). San Diego ranks in the top 10 at sixth with an OPS of .752.
The Astros are 2-5 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Padres are 6-7 when they allow at least one homer.
